The NBA

[Magog]

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I am sorry about Gordon Hayward's injury. That was a brutal injury and when it happened it sucked the life out of the room for a few minutes. Everyone from both teams and the fans definitely were shaken up and concerned about him after it happened. I hope he has a healthy recovery. Paul George came back from a brutal injury, I hope Gordon can come back too. 

That was very sad seeing Gordon Hayward getting injured like that. It sucks that his season basically ended 5 minutes in. Hopefully, he will come back from this. 

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I think that the Celtics could still end up doing well in his absence. They have a lot of talent on that team. They were fighting against the Cavs tonight but ultimately the Cavs did enough to get the win. I thought that Kryie and LeBron shared a nice moment at the end of that game.

I find that moment to be "meh" to me. Sadly, it is what it is.

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In regards to the Warriors/Rockets game tonight, the Rockets did a nice job of stealing the win from the Warriors. The Warriors were hitting them with their usual flurry of 3s, (including several from Nick Young off the bench) but the Rockets withstood them and made enough 3s of their own to get the win. I had thought for a moment that KD's shot had went down in time at the end, but fortunately for the Rockets it didn't. That was a good win for them and a good way to start the season. 

I hope the Rockets enjoyed that moment because they're not going to get much more of these of moments from those Warriors. Those Warriors are still going to kick their ass during the season & in the Playoffs. Frankly, the Western Conference is already over and the Rockets, Spurs, & Thunder have next to no chance against those Warriors. 

Speaking of those Warriors, it was downright vomit-inducing watching that ring ceremony. It also made me sick to my stomach seeing a classy person & one of my favorite NBA Players, Swaggy P (Nick Young) going to the Dark Side. 

Edited October 19, 2017 by Magog

[Jx223]

I thought that the Thunder had a nice opening game tonight. They started out kind of shaky with Paul George and Melo missing several shots. But by the second half they got it together and ended up playing well. I thought Russ did a very nice job of assisting his teammates and choosing his shot selections. He seemed calm and in control and still ended up getting a triple double with Paul George and Melo scoring more than him. I think he feels a lot more comfortable with them on his team. And all three of them seemed happy especially Melo, who seems to really like playing for an organization that actually treats him well. I liked that all three guys (especially Russ) were able to get some rest and that OKC kept up a sizeable lead tonight that enabled them to do that. This also allowed their young players to get more playing time and experience which is also good.

I hope that OKC does very well this year and I am excited to see them play more games.  I hope they will start to gel more on offense and build more chemistry with each other. I think that Paul George may end up being their lead scorer this season and I think that will be fine. I hope that Russ will continue to try and get his teammates involved and create shots for them. 

Edited October 20, 2017 by Jx223

[xaxat]

It looks like Lonzo Ball might get the Tony Kukoc treatment this season thanks to his dad.

[mojoween]

And why are they even interviewing his idiot dad after games anyways?  Who the hell cares what he thinks?

Lonzo seems like a nice enough kid and doesn’t deserve what’s going to happen.

[AimingforYoko]

Weird night in the NBA: Golden State, OKC and Cleveland all lost. (To Memphis, Utah and Orlando, respectively)

[topanga]

3 hours ago, AimingforYoko said:

Weird night in the NBA: Golden State, OKC and Cleveland all lost. (To Memphis, Utah and Orlando, respectively)

Steph Curry and KD both got ejected? I thought they were two of the clamer, more level-headed players in the NBA. 

[isalicat]

The refs have already decided that the Warriors will be penalized by being ignored for obvious fouls upon them, and hyperattenuated for fouls they may commit. Lo, so shall it be and ever be in the NBA, thus sayeth the refs.

It is what it is, but Steph and KD were "annoyed" (to put it mildly) to be dealing with this so clearly so early in the season when everyone is just getting their sea legs under them. Steph threw his mouth thingy sideways and its already "at the ref" and KD raised a ring finger to the taunting crowd and thats already being misrepresented as a middle finger on line.

[xaxat]

On 10/23/2017 at 0:04 AM, isalicat said:

The refs have already decided that the Warriors will be penalized by being ignored for obvious fouls upon them, and hyperattenuated for fouls they may commit. Lo, so shall it be and ever be in the NBA, thus sayeth the refs.

I don't think it's just the Warriors. Most of the games I've watched so far have been called really tight. In part because of the new Harden and Pachulia rules.

ETA. Simmons 21-12-10. Embiid, 30-9 in twenty eight minutes. 

[Magog]

I know that it is only 3 games into the season. But, after last night's game that the Wizards blew a 10 point lead in the 4th and lose to Big Baller Brand & the Lakers, I don't want to hear anymore about them, John Wall, & Bradley Beale being contenders in the Eastern Conference. That team are a bunch of losers.

[AimingforYoko]

It's a weird season so far, Cleveland lost to Brooklyn. Which is a double fail, because the Cavs own their 2018 draft pick.

[twoods]

The NBA is trying to steal some thunder away from football and baseball with all these game winners. I mean, Blake Griffin hitting a three to win the game? Insane.

Edited October 27, 2017 by twoods

[xaxat]

Those new Nike warmup/hoodies are pretty sweet. If I were thirty years younger, I'd think about getting one.

On the other hand, the jerseys are garbage.

[mojoween]

Yeah I wonder if that is going to become a big deal or nah?  Apparently the league paid $125 million for the deal.  Are the jerseys made of paper?

[DrSpaceman73]

Hornets with back to back wins over the leaders in the East and West. 

I know Dwight Howard over the last several years has been given a lot of grief, wondering from one team to another, but he is having a huge year so far In Charlotte and the fans are very happy to have him

Still can't shoot free throws, but his inside presence has been a huge upgrade for the team. 

[DrSpaceman73]

Also so far the "experts" have all been wrong about the OKC-Indiana trade for PG

Everyone thought it was a steal for OKC.  It has helped them, but the Pacers don't seem to have lost anything either. 

Oladipo is playing like an all star and is filling in as the lead role on the team for PG.  He is loved in Indiana anyway from his team on the Hoosiers in college. 

[Jx223]

I am very disappointed with the way OKC lost tonight against the Celtics. They were playing outstanding defense in the first half, but things really came undone for them in the second half. Melo and Paul George really struggled to get shots for a bit and that hurt the team when it came to keeping their lead. They looked like the better team for at least half the game but let the Celtics back in it. I hope OKC learns to gel together more. It had looked like prior to tonight's game they had started to do that. And hopefully they will become more consistent and efficient with scoring. Defensively they have been playing well so far this season.

Also I thought that LeBron did a great job tonight against the Wizards. He was getting almost any bucket that he wanted.

[Magog]

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I am very disappointed with the way OKC lost tonight against the Celtics. They were playing outstanding defense in the first half, but things really came undone for them in the second half. Melo and Paul George really struggled to get shots for a bit and that hurt the team when it came to keeping their lead. They looked like the better team for at least half the game but let the Celtics back in it. I hope OKC learns to gel together more. It had looked like prior to tonight's game they had started to do that. And hopefully they will become more consistent and efficient with scoring. Defensively they have been playing well so far this season.

I'm sure that those Warriors were laughing at the Thunder last night. 

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Also I thought that LeBron did a great job tonight against the Wizards. He was getting almost any bucket that he wanted.

Him scoring 57 points against the pathetic Wizards put a smile on my face. Hopefully, it will shut ESPN up about the Cavaliers going down in flames (starting the season 3-5). I know that they're very happy that the Cavaliers haven't started the season like gangbusters & starting up those LeBron going to the Lakers next season rumors that they been doing since last June. 

[xaxat]

I know this is a battle that is already lost, but. . . there should be no dap after missed free throws!

[topanga]

4 hours ago, xaxat said:

I know this is a battle that is already lost, but. . . there should be no dap after missed free throws!

Totally agree. I know the other players are just showing support,  but they might as well yell out ‘Nice Try!’

[Jx223]

Joel Embid was fantastic tonight in the Lakers/Sixers game. He was doing a bit of everything and his footwork was great. He was very impressive. I also like the way that Ben Simmons has been playing this year. This young Philly team could end up doing well. I am interested in seeing how they will progress as a team. 

Regarding the Lakers, I thought that Kuzma did a nice job tonight and continues to be impressive. Lonzo on the other hand is really struggling and hasn't been looking good. (Yet he continues to be overhyped by the media). I do think that the young Lakers team as whole have been trying to be competitive.

Also, I am glad that OKC won their third game in a row tonight and are now at .500. They are still trying to adjust and have been struggling offensively in games this season. I am interested in seeing how they perform against the Spurs Friday and then against the Warriors next week. Those could be tough games for them.

And I also think that Boston has been very impressive with their 13 game win streak. Brad Stevens is doing a really nice job of coaching them and creating a system that works for them. Kyrie is also doing a nice job of leading them and Jason Tatum has nice poise. 

Edited November 16, 2017 by Jx223

[twoods]

The Lakers would be doing much better if Lonzo wasn't bricking over half his shots. He's rebounding and dishing out assists, but his shot isn't there and it seems hurting the team. I wonder if all the pressure is getting to him, along with his dad's big mouth. Poor guy.

[bosawks]

Last night was the first time I've watched Ball play and that shot is, well, it's distinctive.

[Jx223]

I was very impressed with the way that the Celtics played against the Warriors tonight (and how they have been playing so far this season.) This was a great win for them against the Warriors. They did a really nice job defensively and their young players (especially Jaylen Brown) did a nice job of keeping them in the game when Kyrie was struggling and sitting on the bench. Brad Stevens is doing a very nice job of coaching this team. They are legit.

Edited November 17, 2017 by Jx223

[Fukui San]

I'm really agog at what the Celtics are doing right now. They'll lose eventually, they might take a step back at some point and in the end LeBron might just turn it on and win the East from like the 7th seed, but right now the team is just out of their minds.

[Jx223]

5 minutes ago, Fukui San said:

I'm really agog at what the Celtics are doing right now. They'll lose eventually, they might take a step back at some point and in the end LeBron might just turn it on and win the East from like the 7th seed, but right now the team is just out of their minds.

The Celtics next ten games are: ATL, DAL, MIA, ORL, IND, DET, PHI, PHX, MIL, DAL. These are all winnable games for them. Most of them are very winnable games.  I could see maybe the Sixers/Pistons/Bucks being competitive games, but they can beat those teams and the other teams on this list. They could legitimately go on like a 20+ game win streak. 

[Fukui San]

Boston vs. Philadelphia will be so much fun! I'm already looking forward to it. The whole NBA season seems fun all the way around this year. A lot of teams that were bad are now looking up, and the rookies' impact is very fun to see.  A stark contrast to the NFL which seems like a grind and a chore except for group celebrations. Dragged down by injuries, politics, and poor play.

[xaxat]

ESPN's "Sorry, not sorry." promo for the Warriors/Thunder match up is hilarious.

[Ohwell]

Those two need to go to couple's counseling.

[Jx223]

I was glad that the Thunder beat the Warriors last night. Going into the game, I was concerned that the Warriors would beat them heavily again. But Russ played great and the team as a whole showed up and played well.

Edited November 23, 2017 by Jx223

[Jx223]

Paul George was booed heavily when he returned to Indiana tonight. He had a poor shooting night as did the rest of OKC's big three. They have all been shooting pretty poorly this season. Steven Adams had a good game and continues to be the most consistent player on the Thunder this season.

I hope that the Thunder can figure out a way to deal with their offensive woes, because they won't beat many teams with their big three shooting as poorly as they have been. With the help of Adams and the bench they were able to get past Indy tonight.

Indiana has been doing a nice job this season especially Victor Oladipo. He seems happy to be back in Indy and he has had a lot of good games this season. Not too long ago he had like a 47 point game. He is much more consistent with the Pacers than he was with the Thunder. He also lost weight and has gotten in much better shape. I think this has helped his game as well.

Also, Indianapolis has been selected to host the 2021 NBA All-Star Game.

[twoods]

After seeing the box score of the big three, I'm surprised the Thunder won this game. How can those three be struggling so bad from the field? The Cavs turned it around quickly, and I'm hoping they do. 

Good for Paul George for nailing those free throws at the end. I'm still rooting for him, especially after how he came back from his leg injury. Plus, he's from my hometown and always seemed like a class act. 

[Jx223]

That Thunder sixers game was a whirlwind of a game. (With its 3OTs and 9 players playing 40+minutes and several playing 50 minutes.) It was also the most Joel Embiid has ever played in a game. Speaking of Joel, he made great defensive plays on Russ in this game.

I am glad that the Thunder won this game, but I felt they should have won it more comfortably and without going into all those OTs.If the Thunder had lost, I do think that Russ would have largely been responsible for it. He did get another TD tonight but he played out of control throughout most of the game, had several turnovers and took the team out of rhythm multiple times. He also wasn't passing the ball as much as he should have.

He should also have passed the ball to Melo more who played well tonight. I would like to see Russ shoot less and have better shot selection. I also hope he fixes his free throw issues. His free throw shooting percentage has gone down since last year.

Edited December 16, 2017 by Jx223

[Jx223]

The NBA League Pass is free again this weekend. If you are unable to watch it on tv, you can watch it online.

http://www.nba.com/leaguepass/?iid=EDT_NBA_HolidayFreePreview_homepage_121517-121717

[Jx223]

I think that we have a nice lineup of Christmas games. Here is the slate of Christmas games for today:

12pm/est: Sixers/Knicks (ESPN)

3pm/et: Cavs/Warriors (ABC)

5:30pm/est: Wizards/Celtics (ABC)

8pm/est: Rockets/Thunder (ABC)

10:30pm/est: Timberwolves/Lakers (TNT)

I think that a lot of these games could be good especially since the sixers, Knicks, and Lakers have all been competitive this year. Also, I hope that OKC push their winning streak to 5 and beat the Rockets. OKC have been playing a lot better lately and I hope that things are starting to come together for them. I am also interested in seeing how the Cavs fare against the Warriors in their first meeting of the season.

Edited December 25, 2017 by Jx223

[Jx223]

I have been enjoying the games today.

Enes Kanter had a very nice game for the Knicks, but the Sixers pulled out the win.

I thought that the Cavs/Warriors game was an entertaining game. It was a high energy game. Even though Cleveland didn't shoot well from the field and LeBron missed free throws the game still was close and competitive for most of the game. I thought that Draymond played very well and had a good impact on both sides of the floor. Kevin Love also played well for the Cavs.

And I was very pleased with the way that the Thunder played against the Rockets tonight. I thought that they played a good game overall and were clicking well together. Russ started out rough but ended up playing well in the 2nd half and Paul George was making his shots. He really has been struggling shooting this year, but has said it has been largely due to having tightness in his right forearm. Hopefully, he will start to make more of his shots consistently like he did tonight. OKC has now won 5 in a row and 11 of their last 14. I hope they continue to play well.

[xaxat]

So, Nike has a new set of alternative jerseys, "City". The jerseys incorporate references to each teams' geographic location/history. The Warriors' is a tribute to the Chinese culture in the Bay Area. The Sixers' has a script the emulates the handwriting on The Declaration of Independence. The Celtics have a cross hatch reminiscent of the old parquet floor, etc. 

Somehow, Kobe got involved in the design for the Lakers. Their reference? The Black Mamba. So glad Kobe was able to come up with something that truly represents the entirety of the LA experience and didn't stoop to stroking his own ego.

[Silver Raven]

The 76ers' G League team, the Delaware 87ers, will be wearing Spongebob Squarepants uniforms for one game, for charity.

[Silver Raven]

The Better Business Bureau has given Big Baller Brands an F rating, saying there have been no positive ratings for them and many complaints, calling them a scam, not providing the products people have ordered, not responding to customer emails, and not providing a customer service number.

https://www.si.com/nba/2018/01/08/big-baller-brand-f-rating-better-business-bureau-lavar-ball

[prican58]

Is it wrong to love Spencer Dinwiddie so much?   

http://media.yesnetwork.com/yes/mp4/2018/01/09/1871902883/1515471178073/asset_1200K.mp4

[Magog]

I could of laughed at the Rockets - Clippers trying to go at each other during & after the game, but I was in a very grumpy mood to care after the Cavaliers falling flat on their faces again against those Warriors. I know that ESPN is throwing a victory parade for their Warriors right now & worshipping Kevin Durant like they do to Stephen Curry on an every day basis. It is downright vomit-inducing.

 

You wish that these 2 crummy teams would showed that much anger against those Warriors. What a bunch of losers. I'm pretty much tuned out of the Western Conference. The Rockets, Clippers, Spurs, & Thunder might as well just lay down & play dead right now because none of those teams have a chance in hell against those Warriors. 

Edited January 16, 2018 by Magog

[Jx223]

NBA league pass is having another free trial again. It lasts until Sunday.

NBA on ABC  Primetime is coming back regularly this Saturday Night. They have two good matchups Thunder at Cavs and Rockets vs Warriors. I am definitely looking forward to the OKC/Cavs one. Cavs have been struggling lately losing 8 of their last 10. Their also seems to be drama going on behind the scenes. (It's reported that the players sent a letter to the organization asking for help and some complaints about LeBron not moving the ball enough.) It seems like the Cavs have gone through this every season since LeBron has come back (especially in January.)

OKC has been up and down this season.  Prior to this 3 game winning streak they are currently on they had lost 5 of their last 7. But they are starting to trend up again. I am interested in seeing how they play against the Cavs on Saturday.

Also, Kawhi Leonard is out indefinitely with a hamstring issue. And in a very underreported story #1 pick Markelle Fultz is really struggling with his shot. Markelle hasn't played very much at all this season and hasn't played in almost three months. 

Edited January 18, 2018 by Jx223

[xaxat]

When did TNT start regional blocking? Tonight I tuned in to the Sixers/Celtics game and was notified that I needed to look for local broadcasters. Philadelphia is a couple of hours from where I live, but I'm not in their market. There is no local broadcaster.

Not only have I never been blocked out before, I have watched many games on TNT that were actually in my TV market, the Nets on YES and Knicks on MSG. 

I'm not happy about this. 

[rcc]

18 hours ago, xaxat said:

When did TNT start regional blocking? Tonight I tuned in to the Sixers/Celtics game and was notified that I needed to look for local broadcasters. Philadelphia is a couple of hours from where I live, but I'm not in their market. There is no local broadcaster.

Not only have I never been blocked out before, I have watched many games on TNT that were actually in my TV market, the Nets on YES and Knicks on MSG. 

I'm not happy about this. 

Same here.

[AimingforYoko]

On 1/18/2018 at 10:54 AM, Jx223 said:

They have two good matchups Thunder at Cavs

Should've been a good match, but Cleveland is in it's mid-winter funk. I don't know if LeBron can flip the switch on this one. They gave up 148, yikes.

[ketchuplover]

Adios Jason Kidd. No replacement yet named.

[xaxat]

The Sixers celebrated Australian Heritage night during tonight's game. The should do this every day!

Not only did Australian native Ben Simmons go off for 19/17/14, a fan hit the half court shot giving everybody in the arena free Chick-fil-A!

[AimingforYoko]

Damn shame about Boogie.

ETA:

In other news, the demolition of the LA Clippers has begun.

Edited January 29, 2018 by AimingforYoko
Breaking news

[Jx223]

I hope that Boogie (and also Andre Roberson and Mike Conley,) have healthy recoveries.  Boogie was playing well this year and I believe if he had stayed healthy the Pelicans would have made the playoffs. Maybe they still will make them even without him.

I think that Blake being trade is interesting. I definitely think that Blake is probably upset about this trade. The Clippers  acted like they wanted to keep him around for long term and signed him to a max deal in the offseason. And now they decide to trade him like 6 months later. I didn't expect the team to trade Blake. I had heard reports that teams were looking to acquire DeAndre Jordan. There are reports out there that the Clippers are looking to move him and Lou Williams for young players and picks. I am interested in seeing where these players land.

I would love it if OKC somehow got Lou Williams, but I don't know if that will happen. He could be a very nice boost for them off the bench and could help them with their playoff hopes this season. They are currently playing very well and are on an eight game winning streak. Lou Williams could help their team become even stronger. 

I have also heard that the Cavs are interested in trying to get DeAndre. I wonder what moves they and other teams might try to make before the trade deadline on February 8th at 3pm. 

[xaxat]

A couple of years ago who could have guessed that the run of DeAndre, Blake and Chris would go out with this big of a whimper.

Good times.

[topanga]

20 hours ago, xaxat said:

 

A couple of years ago who could have guessed that the run of DeAndre, Blake and Chris would go out with this big of a whimper

 

Just to play Devil’s advocate, isn’t this how the business of sports works? If you pay a lot of money for players who don’t bring you a championship, eventually, you start to unload those players. 

Although I hope the Clippers ownership were transparent and didn’t spring this on him right before it happened. Blake has been loyal to the team since his arrival, and from everything I know about him, he’s a kind, honest, and good person.